Simon Singh Supports Dr Ken Harvey

Simon Singh
Dr Simon Singh

Simon Singh, the UK based science writer well known to Skeptics everywhere for having successfully defended himself in a libel case involving the British Chiropractic Association, has been in touch with Vic Skeptics.

Simon made the following statement in support of Dr Ken Harvey:

Having been sued for libel in London, I had admired the libel reforms in Australia, which seemed to offer you the free speech that we all deserve. However, I am now astonished and saddened that a respected Australian medical expert has been silenced by a defamation action by SensaSlim. This seems like a disgraceful state of affairs – for speaking out on a matter of public interest, Dr Ken Harvey has been forced to endure the massive personal and financial pressure of a potentially lengthy legal case. In the meantime, the Australian public is not informed about an apparently infective slimming treatment.

Simon Singh

28th of June 2011


Pledge Your Support

At present, the personal cost to Dr Ken Harvey for legal expenses is not known.  We’re not asking for direct financial assistance at this time.  However, you can show your support by making a pledge. Write to supportken@skeptics.com.au, with your name, phone number, and how much you are pledging.

Mal.

The SensaSlim Libel Action Against Dr Ken Harvey. How Did it Happen?

Dr Ken Harvey
Dr Ken Harvey

After the last brief post about this issue, readers may be interested in the details, (as far as an amateur blog writer like myself can establish), as to what occurred between SensaSlim, the TGA and Dr Ken Harvey.
[Note: Links have been added to the end of this post to keep readers up to date with the legal case and to provide further reading.  Recently, this story has had significant coverage in the mainstream press.]
February 2008
A whois search shows that the Sensaslim dot com web site was registered in February 2008.
A Queensland manager of a SensaSlim distribution operation says the company is owned by a Peter O’Brien.
November 2009
The company was registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), on the 2nd of November 2009.
September 2010
SensaSlim, as a product, was listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) on the 20th of September 2010.  The ARTG product number is 176003. Only the sponsoring company is listed “SensaSlim Australia Pty Ltd” at a Sydney address, no individual’s names are shown.
As has been stated before on this site, listing on the ARTG simply means that the TGA considers the product not likely to be harmful. The TGA does not test whether the product is effective, whether supporting evidence for the claims made by the sponsor exists, or whether the claimed underlying scientific mechanisms are real.
The claims as shown on the register include:

….encourages the body’s natural fat burning processes.
….contains Camellia Sinensis (green tea) which is an antioxidant containing caffeine to assist with thermogenesis.

Thermogenesis being the nice technical View More The SensaSlim Libel Action Against Dr Ken Harvey. How Did it Happen?